Brazilian/Dutch Death Metal Quartet CRYPTA Officially Signs with Napalm Records!

Brazilian/Dutch Death Metal Quartet CRYPTA Officially Signs with Napalm Records!

Featuring Former Members of NERVOSA

New Music Coming Soon!

Welcome to the Napalm Family!

Brazilian/Dutch death metal alliance CRYPTA have officially signed with Napalm Records and Napalm Events. Formed in June 2019, the four-piece line up consists of Fernanda Lira and Luana Dametto, both former members of Brazilian thrash metal force NERVOSA, plus the talented Sonia Anubis (Cobra Spell, ex-Burning Witches) and Tainá Bergamaschi (ex-Hagbard). 

The four powerful women of CRYPTA enforce a heightened level of potency and experience from their past and current projects, enhancing influences from classic death metal genres to create a new sound of their own. United in an energetic explosion of sound, CRYPTA is currently working on new music to be announced soon! 

Fernanda Lira on the signing:

"I feel really happy to work with Napalm Records once again, as I've always had a nice relationship with them during my previous ventures, and being able to keep working with them now is just great, it feels like family! Overall, the band is very excited and feeling so lucky for having the chance of such a big kick-start! We can’t wait to get things going and we hope it’s gonna be a fruitful path together!”

Markus Jakob, product manager of CRYPTA, states:

“Welcome to the family, CRYPTA! We’re excited to be able to be working with this fantastic new band that’s set to take the world of extreme metal by storm! From what we could lay our ears on thus far, their debut album is going to be nothing but crushing and will offer a fresh outlook on old school death metal! Keep your eyes peeled and follow us down into the CRYPTA!”

CRYPTA are:

Fernanda Lira - vocals & bass

Luana Dametto - drums

Sonia Anubis - lead guitars

Tainà Bergamaschi - guitars

CRYPTA online:

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Sarcofago- Hate (Album Review)

Musician: Sarcofago
Album Title: Hate
Genre/ Subgenre: Black/ Thrash/ Death Metal
Label: Greyhaze Records
Release Date: May 15, 2020

The release of Sarcofago's Hate ends Greyhaze Records' complete reissues of the influential Brazilian band's recorded output (I have reviewed two of those here). Hate is often overlooked, but it stands out as a dark and fascinating release from the band. There are some bold moments, but this still has it's heart in black metal. The remastered music, taken from the original master tape, sounds fucking phenomenal.

The songs are crushing and filled with bleak and somber lyrical content. Topics such as suicide, murder, and madness are covered with punishing music. Songs tempos shift from groove filled crunch to unrelenting speed. The later is accomplished, in part, due to inhuman drumming. Mostly cause said drums are not played by an actual person but are instead programmed in.

The album opens with "Intro- Song For My Death" a blistering and full speed attack with morbid lyrics. The pure black metal assault of "Pact Of Cum" will batter you from the moment it starts. Speaking of speed, the title track has this punk meets black metal meets thrash sound, especially when coupled with the lyrics about hating, well every fucking thing and everyone. The thundering riffs of Wagner Lamounier's guitars in "The God's Faeces" are some of the coolest he's played. Meanwhile, the chorus of said somg will have signing right along. This all results in some killer fucking music.

Sarcofago's Hate isn't as talked about as some of their more classic work, but it still one hell of an album. With some bold tempo and style shifts, it manages to stand out in the band's discography. With this awesome remastered release, it will hopefully be listened to by more fans of early black metal. Just look over the use of a drum machine and enjoy the dark and ass kicking music.

3.5 out of 5

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Torture Squad- Far Beyond Existence (Album Review)

Musicians: Torture Squad
Album Title: Far Beyond Existence
Genre/ Subgenre: Thrash/ Death Metal
Label: Brutal Records
Release date: March 30, 2018

Torture Squad, whose name is inspired by American thrashers Scared Reich's track "Death Squad", is a Brazilian band who play a mix of thrash and death metal. Far Beyond Existence is their seventh studio album; their first under Brutal Records. It is also their first full length release with their current signer Mayra "Unread" Puertas, as well as Rene Simionato on guitar. Although, they both previously appeared on the Torture Squad EP Return of Evil.

The sound of the band is richly old school evoking a sound that mixes thrash bands like Kreator and Sodom with death masters like Death and Entombed. The result is a fiery and energetic whirlwind of extreme and battering music and the most exciting release from an underground band, this year. so far.

Practically every song is a winner, here. It opens with the thrashing and pummeling "Don't Cross My Path". An ominous intro goes into a battering drum ladden sound accompanied by chainsaw guitars and crunching riffs for the song "No Fate". "Blood Sacrifice"'s serene intro lulls one into a peaceful and mysterious feel only to build up to a full death metal assault with shredding guitars and battering drums, which, in turn, are perfectly accompanied by Puertas menacing and anger filled growl. "Hate" brings the blast-beats and fast riffing to the forefront with a shark like ferocity that punishes one into submission. "Hero For The Ages" has an amazing thrash metal intro that recalls Anthrax and Slayer. It builds into a furious track that is my favorite on the album.

The band's strong musical talent really drives the album to be a success of fury and fire. The production is good and you can really hear guitars clearly and every cymbal and hit on the drum kit. It really helps to highlight the band's driving sound. I also absolutely love Puertas' signing, She has an awesome death metal growl that she can excellently change in depth and pitch, adding the final addition of brutality. The dark and beautiful artwork comes courtesy of Rafael Tavares and helps to drive this album to the extreme metal stratosphere of awesomeness.

Far Beyond Existence is ripping album that marks one of the most exciting from the underground in recent memory. It proves Torture Squad as a force to be reckoned with in extreme metal. A blistering mix of raging thrash and punishing death metal, it is an album that you need to purchase when it comes out late next month.

4.5 out of 5

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Sarcofago- Rotting (Album Review)

Musician: Sarcofago
Album Title: Rotting
Genre/ Subgenre: Black/Thrash/Death Metal
Label: Greyhaze Records
Release Date: Sept. 2, 2016

This is a reissue of Brazilian extreme metallers Sarcofago's 1989 classic album Rotting. It features a gorgeous new layout and comes with a bonus live DVD of a performance from their 1991tour with Morbid Angel (who where supporting Altars of Madness, at the time).

If you've heard this influential album, then you know that is incredibly technical proficient and impossibly fast. If you haven't, then unholy shit do you ever need to!  

There are only six songs on this EP and everyone of them are truly fucking killer. With the exception of the 29 second long intro track "The Lust", which consists of samples of a girl's orgasm sounds and monstrous shrieking, and the almost punkish "Sex, Drinks, & Metal", which clocks in at 3:27, the other four songs are long. They range from the lightning fast 6:03 "Alcoholic Coma" and the epic 8:53 "Tracy".

The music showcases technical superiority and complexity. It firmly puts the music in a death metal category and exemplifies just how influential they were in the extreme metal world. Lyrically the band may talk a little bit about boozing, but they mostly lean towards dark and evil subject matter like killing and fucking one's dead, lying girlfriend, anti-Christianity, and hell. In other words, good, wholesome, and tender fun!

Making this even more of a most own is the excellent, quality in sound in this reissue. Sure it sounds dirty and rough, but it's also clear and full. Combine everything I just said and you have an absolute most own for fans of early death and black metal, and those who love to learn about the history of extreme metal.   

5 out of 5

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Sarcofago- Die Hard (Album Review)

Musician: Sarcofago
Album Title: Die Hard
Genre/ Subgenre: Black/Thrash/Death Metal
Label: Greyhaze Records
Release Date: Oct. 7, 2016

Brazilian underground act Sarcofago were a huge influence on extreme metal, most especially, the second wave of black metal bands (Darkthrone, Mayhem, etc). This is a vinyl LP reissue of the 2015 compilation, the only to officially be released with their demos. It sounds like this will be a stunning looking release. 

From the official press release:
Beautifully packaged as a double-LP with Gatefold Jacket, the album will be available on black and limited-edition yellow vinyl, including an over-sized booklet and poster, as well as liner notes by SARCOFAGO front man Wagner Antichrist.

Sounding like Venom at an even more furious pace, this is fast, heavy, and dirty sounding music. Chaotic and angry, it's a an all out aural assault. While, perhaps not as well known as the aforementioned band or other proto-black metal acts like Bathory and Celtic Frost, the influence on the genre can be felt from the initial riff. As one would expect, the vocals are harsh and growling. Signer Wagner Antichrist also has a ear shredding, high pitched almost King Diamond like scream that he throws in for a few bursts here and there in s couple of songs. It really sets him apart from others in the subgenre. The dirty sounding guitars have blade shredding riffs that help to punctuate it. While, the drumming is fast and furious blasting it's way through the songs. 

Included in this upcoming compilation are a couple of demo versions a select batch of songs, showcasing the various versions of them. But, no matter what version you hear songs like "Satanas", "Nightmare", the vicious "Third Slaughter", and the unrelenting machine gun assault of "Satanic Lust" are full throttle blasts of speed. Being that these are all from demos, one should bare that in mind when hearing the songs, as far as sound quality goes.

Aside from the sound in music style the songs are righteously Satanic in nature so that coupling with the hellish musical sounds are Satanic and blasphemous lyrics. While, all the songs are good, a couple, beyond the aforementioned, like the blistering, evil, and wonderfully over-the-top obscenity of "Desecration Of Virgin" really stand out. It is just such a furious attack on the senses! "Satanic Lust"opens up a catching little groove that heads right into a speed metal bashing. The crunching riff of "Secrets Of A Window" will have you banging your head. 

Available to buy on Oct. 7, 2016 (you can pre-order it here: http://store.greyhazerecords.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=440) this is a must have for LP collectors and black metal fans, in particular those interested in the genre's history and influences.

   
5 out of 5

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Grave Desecrator- Dust to Lust (Album Review)

Musician: Grave Desecrator
Album Title: Dust to Lust
Genre/ Subgenre: Death/ Black metal
Label: Season of Mist
Release Date: July 1, 2016

This Brazilian four piece delivers death/ black metal at a breakneck pace in their fourth release Dust To Lust. It's a non-stop assault from the beginning to the end with the savage veracity of piranha ripping apart flesh in the Amazonian waters.

After the beautifully surrean but foreboding instrumental that is the aptly named "Intro (Dust To Lust)" the album slides the doom crunching of "Temple Of Abominations", which then suddenly goes into a machine fire of blasting music. "Funeral Mist" begins with a thunderous sound that builds and builds into a rolling a pummeling attack. "A Witching Whore" has some dark and menacing riffs that thunders on forward and feels like it would be perfect for the soundtrack of what would surely by an evil and decidedly exploitative supernatural horror flick. The band is clearly not above mixing sex with horror and the Satanic as evident by this song or "Mephisttophallus In Occultopussy" (which might just win coolest/ most ridiculous song title of the year!). "One More Soul" truly puts the speed in full throttle. And, the best is saved for last as the album closer "Perpetual Oath" has a wonderfully slow and creepy intro that is just plain fucking awesome. Then the blast beats come in and it just erupts!

The music is just fast as fuck as buzz-saw guitars with soaring leads are accompanied by blast beats galore. The production has that low-fi feeling that old school black metal fans will like, while still retaining a good, clear sound.

Dust To Lust is a solid album that evokes band like Emperor and Mayhem crossbred with Deicide and Morbid Angel. In all it is a full speed assault of extreme music that serves as a further reminder of all the great metal music coming from Brazil.


3.5 out of 5

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Doomsday Ceremony- Black Heart (Album Review)

Musician: Doomsday Ceremony
Album Title: Black Heart
Genre/ Subgenre: Black Metal/ Blackened Thrash Metal/ Traditional Metal
Label: Greyhaze Records

Doomsday Ceremony is a Brazilian band that mixes black metal with thrash and traditional metal to deliver some amazing sounding music. They have been around since the year 2000. This album, Black Heart, is actually their second release. They started working on it in 2011 and didn't finish it till early 2012. The album is set to be released on April 22, 2016 worldwide by Greyhaze Records. And, let me tell you, this fucker totally rips!!

Thrash style speed mixes excellently with the soaring melody from the twin guitar attack of Rieche and Ciriato. There is a wonderful flowing and shredding sound that comes from this extremely talented duo that showcases a real love for both NWOBHM and thrash that should definitely appeal to older school fans. Meanwhile, the lyrical content and feel of the album give it that nice and evil black metal edge. Vocalist Moloch further ensures it's inclusion in the black metal world with his raspy vocals. Meanwhile, drummer Wolff keeps things fast and searing, with some blastbeats to further mix things up.

The resulting product is one of the most exciting and refreshing sounding albums I have yet, to hear this year. It opens up with the dark melodic heaviness and speed of "Vultures of War", and just keeps going from there. The groove filled "Voice of the Darkness" has this very cool midsection where the music turns to midtempo crunching and it plays excellently when coupled with the vocals. Other highlights include the melodic speed of "Slaves of Sin" and absolutely awesome title track. The later includes an anthemic lyric when they say that they are "Warriors of black metal" That line right there is the coolest fucking thing I have yet to hear in 2016.

I can't stop listening to Black Heart. It's an amazing, ass kicking album that I highly recommend to fans of bands like Immortal, Mercyful Fate, and Skeletonwitch. In all, Doomsday Ceremony and this album are a fucking amazing export from Brazil!

****1/2 out of *****

 

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